Genesis 4:23

4:23 Lamech said to his wives,

“Adah and Zillah! Listen to me!

You wives of Lamech, hear my words!

I have killed a man for wounding me,

a young man ¹  for hurting me.

Genesis 14:24

14:24 I will take nothing ²  except compensation for what the young men have eaten. ³  As for the share of the men who went with me – Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre – let them take their share.”

Genesis 24:16

24:16 Now the young woman was very beautiful. She was a virgin; no man had ever had sexual relations with her. ⁴  She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came back up.

Genesis 24:43

24:43 Here I am, standing by the spring. ⁵  When ⁶  the young woman goes out to draw water, I’ll say, “Give me a little water to drink from your jug.”

Genesis 27:9

27:9 Go to the flock and get me two of the best young goats. I’ll prepare ⁷  them in a tasty way for your father, just the way he loves them.

Genesis 34:12

34:12 You can make the bride price and the gift I must bring very expensive, ⁸  and I’ll give ⁹  whatever you ask ¹⁰  of me. Just give me the young woman as my wife!”

Genesis 34:19

34:19 The young man did not delay in doing what they asked ¹¹  because he wanted Jacob’s daughter Dinah ¹²  badly. (Now he was more important ¹³  than anyone in his father’s household.) ¹⁴ 

Genesis 38:20

38:20 Then Judah had his friend Hirah ¹⁵  the Adullamite take a young goat to get back from the woman the items he had given in pledge, ¹⁶  but Hirah ¹⁷  could not find her.

Genesis 38:23

38:23 Judah said, “Let her keep the things ¹⁸  for herself. Otherwise we will appear to be dishonest. ¹⁹  I did indeed send this young goat, but you couldn’t find her.”

Genesis 41:12

41:12 Now a young man, a Hebrew, a servant ²⁰  of the captain of the guards, ²¹  was with us there. We told him our dreams, ²²  and he interpreted the meaning of each of our respective dreams for us. ²³ 

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¹ tn The Hebrew term יֶלֶד (yeled) probably refers to a youthful warrior here, not a child.

² tn The words “I will take nothing” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

³ tn Heb “except only what the young men have eaten.”

⁴ tn Heb “And the young woman was very good of appearance, a virgin, and a man she had not known.” Some argue that the Hebrew noun translated “virgin” (בְּתוּלָה, bÿtulah) is better understood in a general sense, “young woman” (see Joel 1:8, where the word appears to refer to one who is married). In this case the circumstantial clause (“and a man she had not known”) would be restrictive, rather than descriptive. If the term actually means “virgin,” one wonders why the circumstantial clause is necessary (see Judg 21:12 as well). Perhaps the repetition emphasizes her sexual purity as a prerequisite for her role as the mother of the covenant community.

⁵ tn Heb “the spring of water.”

⁶ tn Heb “and it will be.”

⁷ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with the prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.

⁸ tn Heb “Make very great upon me the bride price and gift.” The imperatives are used in a rhetorical manner. Shechem’s point is that he will pay the price, no matter how expensive it might be.

⁹ tn The cohortative expresses Shechem’s resolve to have Dinah as his wife.

¹⁰ tn Heb “say.”

¹¹ tn Heb “doing the thing.”

¹² tn Heb “Jacob’s daughter.” The proper name “Dinah” is supplied in the translation for clarity.

¹³ tn The Hebrew verb כָּבֵד (kaved), translated “was…important,” has the primary meaning “to be heavy,” but here carries a secondary sense of “to be important” (that is, “heavy” in honor or respect).

¹⁴ tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause explains why the community would respond to him (see vv. 20-24).

¹⁵ tn Heb “sent by the hand of his friend.” Here the name of the friend (“Hirah”) has been included in the translation for clarity.

¹⁶ tn Heb “to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand.”

¹⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Judah’s friend Hirah the Adullamite) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁸ tn The words “the things” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

¹⁹ tn Heb “we will become contemptible.” The Hebrew word בּוּז (buz) describes the contempt that a respectable person would have for someone who is worthless, foolish, or disreputable.

²⁰ tn Or “slave.”

²¹ tn Heb “a servant to the captain of the guards.” On this construction see GKC 419-20 §129.c.

²² tn The words “our dreams” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

²³ tn Heb “and he interpreted for us our dreams, each according to his dream he interpreted.”